Since launching towards the tail end of 2017, Fortnite’s battle royale mode has become the home of some eccentric characters. While big pop culture cameos from the likes of Spider-Man and Boba Fett often make news headlines, Epic Games’ original creations, like Peely the banana, have arguably helped to capture the imagination of players just as much. Thanks to this week’s v19.10 update, the free-to-play multiplayer title now has another potential star on its hands in the shape of the mysterious Klombos.
Even though Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1 has already played host to some memorable moments, such as the introduction of Spider-Man’s iconic web-swinging and huge lightning storms, Epic Games shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The Klombos, and their adorable yet simultaneously menacing appearance, are the latest creation that’s having a significant impact on how players go about surviving on the game’s island.
The Klombo Backstory
From a technical perspective, the Klombos are the latest addition to the Fortnite island’s list of bizarre wildlife. Since the introduction of Chapter 2 Season 3, AI controlled creatures have been roaming the landscape, often hindering and aiding players in equal measure as they fight for their survival. While the game has subsequently featured all manner of animals, including wolves, chickens, and even feathered prehistoric-raptors, the Klombos are arguably the hardest to comprehend and explain. For starters, unlike the vast majority of Fortnite’s wildlife, these lumbering reptiles don’t appear to be based on a single real-world animal.
In terms of their visual appearance, the Klombos appear to have been inspired partly by real-world dinosaurs and frogs. The presence of decorative frills above each of the animal’s eyes also points potentially to a bit of axolotl DNA having made its way into the creation process, too. Considering their newcomer status to Fortnite’s menagerie, it's unsurprising that the lore behind these mysterious creatures has been largely unexplored by the game at this point. With the island having recently been flipped on its axis at the end of Chapter 2 Season 8, it’s possible that the Klombos are an ancient subterranean species that’s always been present away from prying eyes.
Klombo Gameplay
Considering how everything that Epic introduces into Fortnite subtly changes the battle royale’s gameplay loops, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to anyone that the Klombos have had a unique impact on gameplay proceedings as well. It should be noted, though, that getting the benefits they offer first requires a bit of luck and patience spawn-wise. So far, players have reported that they’ve run into the wild creatures at five different locations on the map, with most encounters typically being far away from named locations like the returning Tilted Towers. Despite being by far the largest wildlife introduced to the game so far, it’s usually far easier to hear a wild Klombo tearing up the map than it is to physically spot one.
What’s also striking about the hulking Klombos is the fact that they remain passive to those that run into them unless they’re provoked by gunfire. This is partly by design so that Fortnite players can feed them their favorite food. After picking and presenting enough raspberry-like Klomberries to a Klombo, a fruit typically found in bushes, the creature will spit out an item as a reward. Unlike the other wildlife species players can run into, it’s currently impossible to tame a Klombo and convert it into a battle-ready companion. To balance this out slightly, it’s possible to reach a friendly Klombo’s blowhole, which is located on its head, to receive a fall-damage free boost into the air.
Because every weapon currently in Fortnite only deals 1 hp of damage to the Klombos, making them theoretically un-killable, it’s advisable the players avoid engaging with the beasts unless they’re attempting to lure them into the path of another player. Despite being passive most of the time, it’s worth remembering that Klombos are more than capable of attacking back via powerful stomping and acid-spit-based attacks. Thankfully, it’s easy to spot a hostile Klombo, as the creatures turn red when they're angry. Even though there’s already plenty of challenges in Fortnite that revolve around these mysterious creatures, history suggests that their significance to the game will only increase further from this point.
Fortnite is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.